Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Phoenix Engineering Eagle/Roadrunner Power Conditioner/Surge Protector by bill

Model:	Eagle/Roadrunner
Category:	Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Suggested Retail Price:	$729.00
Description:	Regenerative power supply and techometer for turntables
Manufacturer URL:	Phoenix Engineering

Review by bill_stevenson@bellsouth.net on December 07, 2015 at 12:44:52
IP Address: 173.221.101.242 Add Your Review
for the Eagle/Roadrunner

As promised here is my review of the Eagle and Roadrunner combination. The Eagle is a regenerative power supply and the Roadrunner is a highly accurate tachometer, accurate to 0.001 rpm. As this is written, there is a very interesting thread in the Vinyl Asylum concerning speed accuracy and consistency. The question in that thread is how important are these variables with a lot of speculation in grappling with the answers. Since I just completed this evaluation, perhaps these comments can add insight to the discussion. I used two turntables: A VPI Prime, and for reference a KAB modified Technics SL1200. On the SL1200, because it has an internal controller, only the Roadrunner (i.e. tachometer) was used to check speed accuracy. After a short warm-up (~5-10 minutes) my SL1200 settled at 33.334 rpm with little or no variation always plugged directly into the wall. It is fitted with the KAB power supply. By contrast, after warm-up the Prime speed varied from day to day with ~33.500-33.525, as an example yesterday, but two weeks ago it varied from 33.595-36.605. This variation reflects that power coming right off the grid has some variation from day to day or week to week. This is typical. The AC voltage and frequency are nominally consistent, but there is noise and momentary fluctuations as demand changes and plants come on and off line and so forth. I know this could be questioned so let me explain that I spent 20 plus years working in the power industry as an engineer and this micro level variation is perfectly normal. That is where a regenerative power supply like the Eagle has merit. In essence it takes a dirty sine wave from the wall and cleans it up and then amplifies it for use by the turntable motor. The Eagle/Roadrunner combination is very sophisticated. The two pieces connect to each other such that the Roadrunner provides feedback so that the Eagle stays at the desired speed. It also ramps up power upon startup to ease the load on the motor and saves the belt from premature wear. Once up to speed the voltage ramps down on the Eagle, which allows the motor to run quieter and cooler. If the separate motor on the Prime is moved relative to the plinth it will affect platter speed, but the Roadrunner will measure that change and adjust and control the Eagle to keep the platter at a constant speed. As the bearing lubricant changes/diminishes or the belt wears and stretches the Roadrunner/Eagle with automatically adjust. In the end there will be no worries regardless of changes in the condition of the power on the grid, or wear and tear, or even changes from record to record (more on that anon).

When I first received my new Prime I could not get it to sound right. Or I should say it sounded different from my SL1200 and not in a favorable way. In private correspondence with John Elison, he mentioned the Eagle/Roadrunner and it was like a light bulb lighted. I ordered these items from Bob's Devices right away and could not have been happier with the result. But I am getting ahead of myself. First I hooked up the Roadrunner on the Prime and ran the turntable with just the tachometer connected. I found out that my Prime was running a bit fast as reported above. Then I connected the Eagle and the speed corrected and all of a sudden everything got better. Then I spent quite awhile figuring out how to install the extra sensor and magnet on the SL1200 for comparison (the magnet is on the top edge of the platter on top of strobe buttons and the pickup card is mounted upside down above it, made possible with the magic of several layers of mirror tape. Now it was possible to use the Roadrunner and measure the speed accuracy of the SL1200 and more importantly, to see. to a high level of accuracy in real time, if the turntable was hunting or constantly adjusting to maintain that speed. It was not. I think this puts to bed once a for all the theory that SL1200s have cogging issues. They do not.

Anyway, how about the sound? Mikey Fremer in his review said that the improvement was not subtle. I invited a friend over to help conduct single blind tests. By that I mean he made the adjustments so I never knew what I was hearing. All tests were done on the Prime with the only variable being the insertion or deletion of the Eagle/Roadrunner. All tests were done with the combination of the Eagle and Roadrunner connected to each other. A variety of jazz and classical music was used, some new recordings, some old, some audiophile quality reissues. My score, arrived at without any strain at all was 10/10. In other words, I was able to consistently tell the difference between the Prime with the Eagle/Roadrunner in the circuit and when they were not. It was not hard to do. As an aside, I am 67 years old with excellent hearing for my age. I do not have perfect pitch, but can readily hear sharp/flat against a standard such as a tuning fork. What was the effect of the Eagle/Roadrunner on the Prime? Bass was stronger and better defined. The sounding board on a well recorded piano has appreciably more vibration for example. Sound stage was consistently wider, and usually deeper. Take this test: Close your eyes and listen to an instrument on the outer edge of the orchestra, then point your finger to where it sounds like it is. Then do it again set up the other way. If there is a difference make a note. I used the Analogue Productions re-issue of Rhapsody In Blue, Earl Wild playing with the Boston Pops on Living Stereo, recorded in the 1950s. The snare drum is way to the left, in the back row. With the Eagle/Roadrunner it is well to the left of the speaker as well as where it is without them. On an Oscar Peterson recording on MPS (1977), on one of the "Exclusively For My Friends" records, he is playing an absolutely fabulous Bosendorfer piano. Sam Jones on bass. Listen to the piano, listen to the bass, feel the vibrations. Close your eyes - these guys are in your living room. I mean their presence is palpable. Without the Eagle/Roadrunner not so much. Oscar Peterson played fast and aggressively. He normally played a Baldwin in those days. Bosendorfers have a soft quality as the hammers hit the strings, but a huge, rich sound with a lot of complex harmonics. Baldwins have a sharper attack, and play loudly, but do not have an equal complexity of tone. You can hear Oscar exploring as he played, and you can hear him bringing out his best on this instrument.

I could go on, but my point is made, the Eagle/Roadrunner works and brings the Prime up to a whole new level. Finally, addressing the point of the thread mentioned at the beginning of this review, the need for absolute speed is not there in my opinion. With the Prime plugged directly into the wall, the sound of the instruments was not markedly different, not sharper really, not edgy. If I compare the Prime with and then without the Eagle/Roadrunner there is not a noticeable change in timbre or anything like that. But, the transients, the definition in the bass, the breath tones, all the little details were really brought out. One of my favorite musicians is the late, great Joe Morello of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. On their album "Time Further Out" (1961) he was playing set of Ludwig drums and the bass drum was a large (for small group situations) 22"x14" and Joe hits it more than once with great force. The mic must have been located right above the drums. With the Eagle/Roadrunner it is possible to hear the air passing through the vent hole on the top center of that bass drum. Without the Eagle/Roadrunner, the tone of the drum and overall impact are the same, but I can't hear the air anymore.

Product Weakness:	None
Product Strengths:	Improves inner detail, transients, bass definition<br>Easy to set up<br>No worries as things break in and age

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Conrad-Johnson ARTsa
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Conrad-Johnson ET5
Sources (CDP/Turntable): VPI Prime; Technics SL1200 KAB
Speakers: Sony SS-AR2
Cables/Interconnects: Blue Jeans
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Jazz, Classical
Room Size (LxWxH): 30 x 16 x 12
Time Period/Length of Audition: 1 month
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Conrad-Johnson ARTsa
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Conrad-Johnson ET5
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	VPI Prime; Technics SL1200 KAB
Speakers:	Sony SS-AR2
Cables/Interconnects:	Blue Jeans
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Jazz, Classical
Room Size (LxWxH):	30 x 16 x 12
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1 month
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner